Amsterdam must pull out all the stops to meet its climate goals. According to environmental policy expert Nicolien van der Grijp, citizen initiatives focused on sustainable energy are essential to this. “There’s not much support from residents for many of Amsterdam’s sustainability plans,” says Nicolien. “By letting citizens organise their own energy cooperatives, there’s a better chance of gaining support for other sustainability projects in their neighbourhood.” The city has more than a dozen of these initiatives, such as Energiecoöperatie Zuiderlicht, where residents collectively plan to make their neighbourhood’s energy supply more sustainable – for example, by installing solar panels on schools, sports clubs and apartment buildings.
Young people don’t just show up
However, most of these energy cooperatives are set up by older, often retired men, note Nicolien van der Grijp and Esmee Hofstetter. They’re rarely run by diverse teams that reflect the city’s population. And that’s an issue when trying to create broad support for sustainability projects among Amsterdam’s residents. Nicolien and Esmee observe that young people, in particular, are rarely part of these citizen initiatives, despite the demand for their perspective and fresh approach to the city’s climate challenges.
VU Amsterdam student Esmee Hofstetter researched what would be needed to get young people more involved in Amsterdam’s energy cooperatives. Last summer, she conducted her research thesis at COOP Centraal, an Amsterdam-based organisation that aims to introduce energy cooperatives to the younger generation. VU Amsterdam is one of the partners of this umbrella organisation. “One important misconception is that young people will just show up at energy cooperatives on their own,” says Esmee. “That doesn’t happen because the roles are rarely paid. Young people simply don’t have the time to commit to setting up a sustainable energy company alongside their busy studies and part-time jobs.” According to the Environment and Resource Management student, a paid position and proper guidance are crucial to making these initiatives more attractive to young people. The working environment also needs to be inspiring, says Esmee. “Meetings are often held online, but young people would find it much more appealing to meet in person and really connect in a sort of clubhouse.”
Misconceptions
“There are also many misconceptions about sustainable energy,” explains Esmee. “Young people rarely delve into their energy bills and often don’t know what sustainable energy could mean for them personally.” They mistakenly think that sustainable energy is expensive, for example. “But an energy cooperative can offer energy at a low cost. How cool would it be if young people could put solar panels on their student housing, making them both self-sufficient and able to buy cheaper energy?”
Esmee adds: “Companies understand the need for a fresh, creative outlook from young people. And the young people I spoke to who were already working with energy cooperatives were very driven – not just in their own work, but also in getting other young people involved.”
Social media
Energy cooperatives in Amsterdam can also improve how they engage with young people. “They’re not yet advertising in ways that appeal to young people,” says Esmee. “If you don’t use the platforms young people are on daily, like social media, you won’t reach them.” Nicolien adds: “It also helps when young people themselves organise events for their peers, instead of leaving it to the older generations.”
